Ampersand Music's Top 7 of 2009
The prelude goes like this:
At the end of every year, I put together my list of my favorite five albums from the past twelve months. And each year I inevitably forget something ingenious, regret putting so-and-so in my Top Five, and try to do better the next year.
2009 marks my most dedicated year, though. Since January first, I’ve been keeping a list of all the new music I’ve come across. (If you’re interested, this year that tally is eighty-five albums.) Throughout the month of December I’ve listened to each album in full, put serious consideration to each, and quietly honed my five.
Well. . .kind of.
Narrowing eighty-five to five was rough, so I didn’t do it. I came down to seven and absolutely couldn’t cut another; none of them were ones I wanted to lose the opportunity to spotlight.
So for the next week, one album a day, I’ll be giving posting my personal favorite seven albums of the year, finishing it off on New Year’s Eve.
Thanks for reading along, and a happy new year to all.
Cheers.
Oh, and if you’re interested, here’s this year’s field of eighty-five:
Anderson Cale – Anderson Cale
Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
Iain Archer – To the Pine Roots
Basment Jaxx – Scars
Beirut – March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland
Andru Bemis – Live at the Hill Street Boat House
Big Jess – Whatever I Want: The Mixtape
Diane Birch – Bible Belt
Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band – Live at the Newport Folk Festival
Bon Iver – Blood Bank EP
Bowerbirds – Upper Air
Boxer Rebellion – Union
Susan Boyle – I Dreamed a Dream
Brother Ali – The Truth is Here EP
Brother Ali – Us
Budo – One Bird on a Wire
Andrew Carter – Sticks EP
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Chicken Little! – The Sky is Not Falling
Les Claypool – Of Fungi and Foe
Cobra Starship – Hot Mess
Company of Thieves – Ordinary Riches
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul
The Daylight – 6 A.M.
The Dead Weather – Horehound
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
The Drug Budget – No Contest/The Nerve Double EP
duck/duck/punch. – duck/duck/punch EP
Eyedea & Abilities – By the Throat
Felt – Felt 3 (A Tribute to Rosie Perez)
Fly Rich – $20
fun. – Aim and Ignite
fun. – Daytrotter Session
God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl
Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels
In-Flight Safety – We Are an Empire, My Dear
Iron & Wine – Around the Well
Iron & Wine – Norfolk
The Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning
Karen O and the Kids – Where the Wild Things Are
Le Loup – Family
The Lonely Island – Incredibad
Lucky Elephant – Star Sign Trampoline
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
Matt & Kim – Grand
Dent May – The Good-Feeling Music of Dent May and his Magnificent Ukelele
Metavari – Be One of Us and Hear No Noise
DJ Morgoth – Mash-Up Your Bootz Vol. 4
Morrissey – Years of Refusal
The Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice – Moon Colony Bloodbath
National Skyline – Bliss & Death
Franz Nicolay – Major General
The Nightgowns – Sing Something
Official Secrets Act – Understanding Electricity
P.O.S – Never Better
Paramore – Brand New Eyes
Passion Pit – Manners
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
Placebo – Battle for the Sun
Power of 2 – Power of 2
Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
The Queen Killing Kings – Tidal Eyes
Rain Machine – Rain Machine
Sage Francis – Sick of Wasting…
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes – Up from Below
Shortwave Fade – Deletia
The Sounds – Crossing the Rubicon
Stephen Steinbrink – Ugly Unknowns
The Strawberry Preserved – Fear and Loafing
Regina Spektor – Far
st. vincent – Actor
Dustin Thomas – Give
Dustin Thomas – Live at The Red Sea
Two Tongues – Two Tongues
Volcano Choir – Unmap
Rufus Wainwright – Milwaukee at Last!!!
Jason Webley and Sxip Shirey – Days With You
White Rabbits – It’s Frightening
Workers – Workers
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster
Toki Wright – A Different Mirror
Zero 7 – Yeah Ghost